“If Christy Mathewson didn’t exist, baseball would have had to invent him. The game had matured to the point where genuine heroes were needed. Alan Gaff’s well researched book gives us a fresh look at Matty, just in time for the centennial of his passing.”—Marty Appel, a New York Yankees historian and author of Pinstripe Empire and Casey Stengel

“Through deep research into baseball’s early years and into Christy Mathewson’s own career, this must-read book celebrates the history of baseball, the way the game was reported, and the life of one of the greatest players of all time, Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson. You don’t want to miss this wonderful book.”—Paul Semendinger, author of The Least among Them

“Alan Gaff makes a very compelling case for anointing Christy Mathewson as baseball’s first true superstar, ahead of the likes of Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, and, yes, even Babe Ruth. . . . Gaff’s work paints a vivid picture of Mathewson’s greatness on and off the field and is an essential read for any baseball fan who loves and appreciates the game’s history.”—Mark Braff, author of Sons of Baseball: Growing Up with a Major League Dad

“Alan Gaff has again sleuthed his way into the lore of America’s pastime and presented a player whose name we know but whose personage we do not. Just as with his Lou Gehrig book, Gaff has unearthed a trove of baseball treasure with descriptions and stories of Mathewson by those who knew him best. Such an undertaking is a testament to the author’s love and appreciation for America’s great game.”—Dustin Bass, cohost of the Sons of History podcast

“Alan Gaff has done a yeoman’s job in putting Christy Mathewson’s excellence in context. . . . Gaff offers new insights on Mathewson from his days at Bucknell University to his military service in World War I to his death from tuberculosis at the age of forty-five.”—David Krell, author of Bo Belinsky: The Rise, Fall and Rebound of a Playboy Pitcher

“Reading Baseball’s First Superstar made me feel like I know Christy Mathewson and had even watched him pitch—and reinforced that he was due every accolade of his pitching ever given and was worthy of being a role model for every generation. It’s a wonderful tale that should be on every baseball fan’s nightstand.”—Robert Skead, author of The Batboy and the Unbreakable Record

“Alan D. Gaff gifts us with a forgotten biography and memoir of one of the grandest twirlers of all time: Christy ‘Gumboots’ Mathewson. Yes, Gumboots. Read on!”—Tim Manners, coauthor with Waite Hoyt of Schoolboy: The Untold Journey of a Yankees Hero